Ph.D. - Music

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/2113

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Performing reconciliation? An examination of wayang potehi and its struggles in the multicultural society of democratizing Indonesia
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2025) Tung, Yuan-Hsin; Sutton, R. Anderson; Music
Wayang potehi, a glove puppetry form that originated in the southern Fujian Province of China, has helped to consolidate the ethnic identity of Chinese sojourner communities in Indonesia through serving as part of ritual observances in Chinese temples and as public entertainment during important Chinese holidays and festivals. In contemporary Indonesia, the cultural significance of this art form has evolved due to a dramatic shift in its practitioners – from Fujian-Chinese immigrants to peranakan (referring to those of mixed Javanese and Chinese ancestry, who may not understand Chinese dialects) and Javanese performers. Noticeable changes have been observed in the aspect of narrative language and musical elements used by these new performers in wayang potehi. Scholars have emphasized the expression of peranakan or Sino-Indonesian identity through the alternative wayang potehi practices, but they have yet to thoroughly explore the impact and significance of these changes in potehi on the Chinese-Indonesian community and its role in contemporary discourse of multiculturalism in Indonesia. This dissertation draws on ethnographic research focused on wayang potehi puppetry and its music. It examines the performative style of four wayang potehi troupes: Lima Merpati, Fu He An, Tjoe Tiek Kiong temple troupe, and Rumah Cinwa, with a particular emphasis on musical expression. By examining their performances across various “stages” – including domestic and international cultural venues, as well as virtual representations in media and cyberspace – I demonstrate how the identity of peranakan, often perceived differently across Indonesia’s diverse society, is reflected in contemporary wayang potehi. This perception is strategically employed to foster a civic-nationalist consciousness within wayang potehi, with the aim of contributing to the reconciliation of past conflicts among the ethnic Chinese and their pribumi (indigenous) counterparts. The complexity of peranakan identity can be attributed to the flourishing maritime trade in Southeast Asia, which was dominated by Europeans starting in the late sixteenth century, which facilitated the ongoing migration of the Fujian population to the south. Additionally, the globalization of Western thought and ideologies in the twentieth century has further complicated this identity. Globalized cultural exhibition formats, such as festivals and media platforms, have sparked creativity in potehi performance, particularly in the aspect of music, and have influenced expressions of self-identity. This innovative approach in performance grants the genre opportunities to negotiate national recognition at international festivals while transforming itself into a platform for promoting and facilitating ethnic reconciliation within a democratized nation-state, though the potential for this level of influence has been disappointedly (but predictably) limited.
Okinawan at Heart and Cool Japan: Affinity and Transnational Identity in Indonesian Performance of Okinawan and Japanese Music and Dance
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2023) Singer, Aaron West; Sutton, R. Anderson; Music
This dissertation explores the ways in which engaging with Japanese and Okinawan performance challenges and helps construct new definitions of Indonesian global identities through four case studies: the Jakarta Sanshin Club, U-maku Shinka Eisa Indonesia, JKT48, and IND48. Through ethnographic fieldwork and performance analysis, I examine the ways in which cross-cultural encounters and e-gentrification have created spaces that have allowed Indonesians not only to participate in international conversations as part of fan and performance communities, but also to become leaders and influencers within those communities in ways that also showcase Indonesian cultures. Much of the literature on globalization has tended to focus disproportionately on the East-West binary. These narratives privilege the idea of Euro-American cultural and technological global dominance, while underrepresenting the realities of regional politics that have and continue to be culturally influential. The relationship between Indonesia and Japan since the mid-20th century has been especially important for the development of Indonesia’s infrastructure. Likewise, through the “Cool Japan” cultural diplomacy policy, Japanese popular culture has become deeply intertwined with Indonesian popular culture. Moreover, the East-West binary narratives tend to overshadow the ways in which individuals participate in global networks. In this study, I look at how Indonesian performers of Japanese and Okinawan music and dance develop an affinity with those cultures and integrate cultural performance into their own identities. Policies like “Cool Japan” and ideologies like “Okinawan at Heart” encourage Indonesians to take part in Japanese and Okinawan performance and use it as a medium for explorations of all three cultures. By refocusing the conversation on globalization around the performers, I examine the ways in which Indonesian performance of Japanese and Okinawan cultures is used to reinforce and challenge Indonesian societal norms, and to recontextualize Indonesian global identities in the 21st century.
Beyond November Steps: Takemitsu's Other Double Concertos; and Vagabond Concerto: A Composition for Shakuhachi and Orchestra
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Molina, Christopher; Womack, Donald; Music
In the 1960s, composer Tōru Takemitsu (1930-1996) drew international acclaim by way of dueling identities: as a member of the Western avant-garde, and as a Japanese artist daring to join non-Western instruments with orchestra in November Steps. To the dismay of certain Modernists, he then moved past the confines of these identities in search of a unique voice and a hallmark vocabulary, which he achieved by the 1980s with an identifiable toolkit of recurring orchestrations and structural conceits. It is the premise of this analysis that some of his most accomplished work dates from this period; that among this work, the “concerto” may best represent his mature aesthetic; and that these works deserve more attention, both in scholarship and in the concert hall. The study proceeds from a biographical context, highlighting the concepts of Takemitsu’s pluralist vision, then lays out the toolkit of devices which lend his mature work its trademark sound. An overview of this vocabulary then serves as springboard to the in-depth analysis of five double concertos: Gémeaux (1971-1986), Autumn (1973), Toward the Sea II (1981), Vers, l’arc-en-ciel, Palma (1984) and Quotation of Dream (1991), works which run the gamut of Takemitsu’s formal experimentations, while maintaining a unified vocabulary. An afterword offers a brief argument for the broader adoption of this concept of “vocabulary” as a paradigm for addressing a plurality of music theories in the 21st century.
No Ke Kanu Ana O Ke Kupapau: A Service For The Dead For Choir, Organ, And Chamber Orchestra
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Goedecke, Thomas; Osborne, Thomas; Music
This dissertation delves into the unique instrumentation and textural decisions present in Gabriel Fauré's Requiem and a newly composed companion work, No Ke Kanu Ana o Ke Kupapau, for choir, organ, and chamber orchestra. Both choral orchestral pieces are examined, and the primary emphasis of the dissertation is on the composition and analysis of No Ke Kanu Ana o Ke Kupapau. By exploring the distinct approaches to instrumentation and text setting, this study aims to illuminate the significance of these decisions within the context of each work.The study provides a brief introduction to Fauré’s Requiem, focusing on its unique instrumentation and text setting, and proceeds to analyze No Ke Kanu Ana o Ke Kupapau movement by movement to show insight into their connection. This analysis highlights the specific influences that shape each section of the companion piece and demonstrates how these elements are integrated into a unique compositional voice, resulting in a work that both complements Fauré’s Requiem in terms of texture and thematic content. In the concluding section, the dissertation delves into the use of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in No Ke Kanu Ana o Ke Kupapau, investigating how it builds upon and distinguishes itself from established precedents in the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi choral canon. By identifying the innovative approaches to text setting and language in this work, the study contributes to the understanding of how No Ke Kanu Ana o Ke Kupapau seeks to serves as both a strong contribution to the Hawaiian language choral canon and a fitting companion to Fauré’s Requiem.
Mosaic Miniature A Three-movement Work For Large Ensemble
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Wang, Si; Osborne, Thomas; Music
Mosaic Miniature is a three-movement work for fourteen musicians. It juxtaposes and integrateselements of traditional Chinese music and contemporary Western composition. I mean to create small mysterious scenes with a maximized metaphor of history and humanity.
Priory Belle: A Musical Narrative Inspired By Short Story
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Brabant , John Paul; Womack, Donald; Music
Priory Belle is a concert work inspired by an original story that I wrote. The music is written for flute, oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet in Bb, bass clarinet in Bb, bassoon, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, horn, strings, harp, piano, percussion, two mezzo-sopranos, tenor, and three baritones. The work is approximately eighteen minutes in length. Compositional choices throughout Priory Belle arise from two driving factors: the original story and an English change ringing method that is adapted for the ensemble.
Vocal Music Of The Cook Islands: ‘īmene Tuki And ‘ūtē In The Homeland And The Diaspora
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Sullivan, Kirk E.; Trimillos, Ricardo D.; Music
This study examines the music and music making of Cook Islanders living in and away from the homeland. It seeks to understand contemporary lives of diasporic Cook Islanders and their family and community members living in the Cook Islands homeland through their music. Given a preponderance of Cook Islanders living away from the homeland, this study considers the role of the homeland in the “imagined community” created by Cook Islanders living in New Zealand and the role of the diaspora in the imaginations of Cook Islanders living in the homeland. Although this effort is primarily to document and describe the music and music making of Cook Islanders in the 21st century, it is hoped that by examining the relationship of these characteristics and processes between the homeland and diasporic population this study contributes to the broader understanding of diasporas in general and of the role of music making in the diaspora.
"The Beauty of Hawaiʻi Through Your Eyes": The Genealogical Consciousness of Edwin Mahiʻai "Mahi" Copp Beamer
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Sala, Aaron J.; Trimillos, Ricardo D.; Music
Grounded in an ethnographic approach that is focused on integrating the etic theories of genealogy, memory, performativity, and ethnomusicology with emic sensitivities for moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy), moʻolelo (story), kupa (to be well-acquainted), and mele (music), this dissertation examines the life, education, professional career, and musical output of Native Hawaiian composer and performer Edwin Mahiʻai “Mahi” Copp Beamer (1928-2017). Owing to his steadfast commitment to honoring his ʻohana—the famed Beamer family—and especially his “Sweetheart Grandma,” Helen Desha Beamer (1882-1952) and to maintaining a high level of integrity in his musical work derived from that commitment, I argue that Mahi Beamer’s “genealogical consciousness” is the connective conduit that sustained his creative capacity and productive performativity as a foremost and beloved Native Hawaiian artist. I track Beamer’s career over some seven decades, with a particular interest in the analysis of several of his musical compositions and his falsetto style, and situate him at the center of a series of concentric circles that include family and friends, music industry colleagues, executives, and celebrities, and countless audience members and fans who came to know him over the course of his career. The research draws heavily from my personal relationship to Uncle Mahi, as I affectionately call him, and the countless moʻolelo he shared with me over the 28 years I knew him. Acknowledging that academe is a site of contestation and struggle for indigenous scholars like myself, I simultaneously take up the project of confronting my own struggle in the process of composing this dissertation, and I remain unapologetic over my self-reflexivity and the role I play as a critical interlocutor with a diverse set of viewpoints that are themselves derived from my formal training at the academy (as hegemony) and my formal training in the ʻohana (as indigenous). To carve out a safe space for this self-imposed interrogation, I draw upon the work of indigenous authors and scholars from Hawaiʻi, greater Pasifika, and from the First Nations. Finally, rather than consider how the music of Mahi Beamer sounds Hawaiian, I interrogate what Hawaiianness can sound like through the music of Mahi Beamer.
The Effects On Vocal Pitch Accuracy When The Yuba Method Is Applied To A Group Of Inaccurate Singers
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Tupola, Andria P.; Blackwell, Jennifer; Music
This study aims to determine the effect of the Yuba Method on pitch accuracy when applied to a group of adult singers and answer the following questions: Is there a difference between the overall mean absolute error for the control and treatment groups? Is there a difference within-groups in the mean absolute error during the three instructional periods (IP#1, IP#2, IP#3)? Is there a difference between the absolute interval error from notes 14 to 15 between control and treatment groups? Is there a difference between the absolute interval error from note 14 to 15 within-groups during the three instructional periods (IP#1, IP#2, IP#3)? The control group was taught a choral warm-up and then led through a 50-minute rehearsal. The experimental group was taught the Yuba Method and then led through50-minute rehearsal. The participants were recorded singing “Happy Birthday” before rehearsal and immediately after rehearsal. The results were analyzed for mean overall interval error scores and the interval error between notes 14 and 15 using the Tony Software. The results showed that the experimental group improved overall pitch-matching accuracy more drastically than the control group. The experimental group improved interval error scores between notes 14 and 15 more drastically than the control group. The Yuba Method seeks to expand the vocal range by encouraging the use of the falsetto voice, thus increasing the ability to match pitch. The use of repetition, movement, and hand motions during the Yuba Method could have also affected the increase in pitch matching ability. The difference between control and experimental group composition was a contributing factor.
Echoing Spirits: A Composition For Shakuhachi, 21-string Koto, And Orchestra
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Watson, William; Womack, Donald; Music
Echoing Spirits is a composition for shakuhachi, 21-string koto, and Western orchestra. The purpose of this paper is to offer a detailed view of the musical work. The paper is comprised of two parts. The first part addresses the reasons for my choice of instrumentation, compositions that influenced my piece, and my compositional strategies for integrating Japanese and Western musical resources. These strategies include integration of the following: the extramusical idea of yōkai, the Japanese and Western instruments, Japanese aesthetic and formal system jo ha kyū. The second part of the paper is an analysis of the composition, consisting of the formal structures I used to lay the foundations of the piece, the melodic and harmonic language, and orchestration choices.
Musical Navigation: Cultural Hybridity and Indigeneity among Islands of the Ryukyus and Taiwan
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2019) Kuan, Yuan-Yu; Lau, Frederick; Music
Divided by Chinese and Japanese political boundaries, the islanders of Taiwan and the Ryukyus must negotiate their cultural values not only with the East Asian hegemons but also with American militaristic penetration. The consequences are twofold: the construction of an idealized ethnic identity and a hybridization of their cultural practices. Most official narratives about their musics and performing arts have primarily been constructed, classified, and defined via East Asian hegemonic political agendas and national borders, thereby disregarding indigenous narratives which include the existence of established circuits between these island groups. This study highlights indigenous and Austronesian sensibilities, exploring musical and historical interconnectedness among these islands on the East China Sea/West Pacific Ocean. Taking into account the increased claims of indigeneity in East Asia, I focus on agency and migration as analytical frames to examine music-making processes among regional island musicians. Based on extensive ethnographic and archival research, I interrogate processes of colonialism, militarization, and globalization as they relate to contemporary soundscapes within these island groups, problematizing the notion of musical hybridization and traditional/modern polarities. Using oceanic metaphors such as navigation, pathway, and waves as lenses, I identify the characteristics of musical mixing and coalition formation between Taiwanese and Okinawan musicians, offering an approach to understanding so-labeled “hybrid” contemporary island cultures. Rather than glossing hybridized music as postmodern under a single global category, ethnomusicologists might better engage the notion of the postmodern relative to a specific indigenous musical and historical context. I regard musical mixing in the region as a creative process of making indigenous hybridity. Hybrid music here is indigenously-inspired pragmatism that embodies the flexibility and performativity of subaltern identity as it co-exists and negotiates within and against local, regional, national, and international hegemonic structures of power and control—decentering the present imposed narratives about Okinawa and Taiwan while offering a futurity that expands what it means to be indigenous in East Asia.
Makani, a three-movement work for wind ensemble
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2019) Cole, Matthew Mike; Osborne, Thomas; Music
Makani, a three-movement work for wind ensemble, is intended for performance by college wind ensembles. In the composition of the work, I have attempted to write a piece that is within the ability level of most college ensembles, but it remains to be seen where the work lies in the scale of difficulty for such groups. In the critical essay that follows, I will illuminate the compositional processes employed in the creation of the work and analyze the results in terms of structure, motive, rhythm, harmony and orchestration. Each movement will be analyzed according to its own prevalent process: I. Ko’olau – accumulation, II. Mauka – assimilation, III. Kona – dissipation. Finally, conclusions about the compositional process will be drawn as well as parallels with the work of contemporary and historical compositions for wind ensemble and other groups.
Chinese Zheng and Identity Politics in Taiwan
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018-12) Lai, Yi-Chieh; Lau, Frederick; Music
This dissertation examines the ideologies and embodiments of identity politics of transplanted music by taking the Chinese zheng, also known as guzheng, in Taiwan as subject of study. Through examining state policy and Taiwanese zheng players’ musical behavior, I investigate Taiwanese musicians’ ambivalent identity constituted in zheng performance—from playing Chinese zheng music to creating Taiwanese zheng music—under the political tension between the Republic of China (ROC) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This dissertation examines the ways that Taiwanese musicians actively contribute to the body of zheng music. I demonstrate that cultural ideologies were instrumental during the musical transmission; additionally, I detail the individual approaches of executing these cultural practices. Given that the government policy was inseparable from the way Taiwanese zheng musicians played music, the zheng thus can be seen as a site of negotiating one’s position in the socio-political condition. This dissertation engages theories on nationalism and identity to demonstrate not only how cultural policies affect music but also how musicians make music and interact with the nations. Rather than viewing Chinese/Taiwanese zheng music as merely a musical product, I examine zheng performance in Taiwan as a social behavior that allowed performers to participate in a modern China that led to the creation of a local Chinese practice in Taiwan. As a result, the zheng became the only Chinese musical instrument that signified both Chinese and Taiwanese cultural identities. This research illustrates how the zheng, as a cultural instrument, builds social connections and negotiates identities and conflicts in everyday life. The complex issues of zheng music in Taiwan will provide a new understanding of modern Chinese/Taiwanese history with a focus on identity politics that relates to the cross-strait relationship.
Locating Affinity and Making Meaning: Gamelan(ing) in Scotland and Hawai‘i
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018-05) Strohschein, Heather A.; Music
This dissertation explores the potential of affinity through close work with two community gamelan ensembles: Naga Mas in Glasgow, Scotland and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Javanese Gamelan Ensemble (UHJGE) in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Through ethnographic fieldwork and musical analysis, I offer a detailed examination of how people in Western countries create new contexts for Javanese gamelan by incorporating it into their life stories—narratives individuals tell about themselves to explain personal values and motivations. It is through life stories that gamelan members construct systems of coherence, varied connections that make their involvement in—and indeed, the very fact of—gamelan outside of Indonesia make sense. These filaments of coherence bind together to present a more nuanced interpretation of affinity. Community groups like Naga Mas and the UHJGE have been overlooked in ethnomusicological scholarship in part because of their designation as affinity communities. I argue for a reexamination of this term as it has been inadequately defined and not given as much attention as other categorizations of community. Without theorizing affinity communities, we lose out on understanding how these groups of individuals function, how they perceive authenticity, appropriation, and agency in the 21st century, and where true affinity and community lie. Because Mark Slobin’s definition of affinity intercultures has become the standard within ethnomusicological and cultural scholarship, many scholars do not investigate beyond surface understanding of the term affinity. Likewise, a constructed ethnomusicological gamelan grand narrative has historically discouraged scholarly interest in these groups. Close work with current and former members of Naga Mas and the UHJGE reveals, however, various dimensions of affinity—much more than choice and desire assumed by previous research—as well as a rich, mostly untapped fount of music, behaviors, histories, and idea(l)s contributing to the global gamelan culture. I ultimately propose my own, expanded definition of affinity community and create a framework which includes and outlines the numerous and expandable dimensions of affinity.
Evaluation of Music Performance: Computerized Assessment Versus Human Judges
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018-05) Shih, Yi-Ju; Music
A major concern in the literature on music performance evaluation has been the reliability of assessment. The challenges in fairly and accurately evaluating music performance are often identified as subjective matters, non-musical factors, as well as the methods or tools with which music teachers assess. Subjective matters, such as biases and personal preference, could lead to unfair assessment. Non-musical factors, such as student attitude, effort, and participation, have been given greater weight than musical factors in calculating music grades. Computerized assessments designed for evaluating music performance could improve objective measurement of music assessment. The SmartMusic assessment is a technological program commonly used for evaluating musical performance. Although researchers have studied the effectiveness as well as the reliability of the SmartMusic assessment, very few quantitative studies have shown evidence of the comparison of computerized assessments with human examiners in assessing music performance. This quantitative experiment compared the evaluations of a set of human judges and the SmartMusic assessment. Statistically significant differences between the human judge panel and the SmartMusic assessment were found in the variability and the reliability of the ratings. The dependability of the computerized assessment was below acceptable levels of reliability in evaluating student performance.
Concerto for Nohkan and Orchestra
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-12) Seymour, John T.; Music
The original musical score of the Concerto for Nohkan and Orchestra, a seventeenminute concerto for a soloist of the Japanese nohkan flute with a Western symphonic orchestra, is provided. Although the n12345 67489 45 :;61<=45= <17> :5 =?1 1@ A4645B9 =<4C:=:1547 =2>4=<:D47 genres, noh and kabuki, the instrument is not often used in the genre known as gendai hougaku (new compositions for traditional Japanese instruments), and this is the first known concerto for nohkan with Western orchestra. The accompanying essay introduces the nohkan, and goes on to detail how the composer dealt with various notational and compositional challenges the nohkan presents. Foremost, the nohkan is an instrument of uncertain tuning, the exact pitches of which will vary greatly from one instrument to another. This causes notational problems when notating for the instrument on a Western staff, as well as compositional challenges when combining the :59=5= ?:=2 &>9=><5 :59=5=9 1@ 4F917E=> 6:=D2G )2> D1;619>9> challenges are explained and contrasted with solutions employed by other composers who have written for the instrument in a contemporary context. In dealing with these challenges, a variety of techniques were employed, some based on the works of 20th century composers who experimented with unmetered material for large ensemble, chiefly Alan Hovhaness and Iannis Xenakis. Finally, as the nohkan plays a mainly rhythmic role in its traditional genres, this work is also in large part rhythmically conceived, and so comparisons are made to other works that are based around the rhythmic relationships of orchestra and soloist.
The Participatory We-Self: Ethnicity and Music in Northern Thailand
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Fairfield, Benjamin S.; Music
The 20th century consolidation of Bangkok’s central rule over the northern Lanna kingdom and its outliers significantly impacted and retrospectively continues to shape regional identities, influencing not just khon mueang northerners but also ethnic highlanders including the Karen, Akha, Lahu, and others. Scholars highlight the importance and emergence of northern Thai “Lanna” identity and its fashioning via performance, specifically in relation to a modernizing and encroaching central Thai state, yet northern-focused studies tend to grant highland groups only cursory mention. Grounded in ethnographic field research on participatory musical application and Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s notion of “flow”, this dissertation examines four case studies of musical engagements in the north as it specifically relates to ethnic, political, and autoethnographic positioning, narratives, and group formulation. In examining the inclusive and exclusive participatory nature of musical expression within various ethnic and local performances in the north, I show how identity construction and social synchrony, achieved via “flow,” sit at the heart of debates over authenticity, continuity, and ethnic destiny. This especially happens within and is complicated by the process of participatory musical traditions, where Thongchai Winichakul’s “we-self” is felt, synchronized, distinguished, and imagined as extending beyond the local performance in shared musical space across borders and through time—even as the “other” is present and necessary for the distinguishing act of ethnic formalization. Though wide-ranging differences persist among the many ethnic groups of the north, they share a common resistance to central “Thainess” and construct this via participatory musical engagement. Regional, local, indigenous, or ethnic identities here are thus formulated through sanuk, the enjoyment of participation, a process of “flow” that enables strong emotional bonds while also potentially exposing communities as fragile, ambiguous, and negotiable.
The Immortal Hand Piano Concerto for the Right Hand
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2016-08) Kurachi, Megumi
The Immortal Hand, a concerto for piano right hand and orchestra, is a culmination of my studies at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. It is a personal piece that portrays an emotional journey, from anger and struggle to triumph and joy. Each of the three movements, which are played without pause, depicts a different mood: anger and struggling – turmoil and searching – exciting and active. Several years ago, I had an experience where the use of my left hand was severely limited. As piano is my primary instrument, I chose to write a piano concerto that would reflect the struggles of this personal experience, while also providing a rare outlet for others dealing with similar problems. There are very few piano concertos written for one hand. The number of left-hand piano concertos increased somewhat after World War I. This is largely due to Paul Wittgenstein, a highly-respected pianist who injured his right arm during World War I. He subsequently commissioned composers to write piano concertos for him. In comparison with the number of left-handed piano concertos, piano concertos for the right hand are extremely rare. Because of this, and because of my own previous injury limiting the use of my left hand, I decided to write a concerto for the right hand. In this piece, I wanted to find a way to link all of my movements musically. I focused on using four specific motives (a, b, c, d) to unite the entire piece. In particular, the a motive appears at the very beginning of the main theme of each movement, creating a common thread the runs throughout the entire work. The first movement is in ternary form, while the second and third movements are each in rondo form. I expressed a development of emotional conflict in the second movement, which links the very different characters of the first and third movement. In the third movement, there are moments of recollection of the first and second movements. In this concerto, I did not consciously write in any traditional keys, preferring instead to incorporate modes. These modes help express the emotional content of the work. For example, in the second and third movements, both of which are composed in rondo form, the refrain returns in a different mode each time. This allows the overall mood of the refrain to change with each appearance. In the second movement, most notably in the introduction, I used contrasting modes to portray the emotional conflict that is so important in this particular movement. The Immortal Hand is a musical portrayal of the development and eventual resolution of conflict, one that is particularly personal to me, given my own experiences. I also composed this piece to provide new repertoire for others going through similar circumstances. By combining my experience as a pianist with my work as a composer, I have been able to tap into my own experiences as a culmination of my studies at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
The Transformation of Hua'er Songs in 21st Century China
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2016-05) Yang, Man
This study examines the impact of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) system and policies on a grassroots folksong tradition in Northwestern China called hua'er, which was named as Chinese ICH in 2006 and as UNESCO World ICH in 2009. While analyzing the new Chinese ICH law, issued in 2011, as well as various cultural projects intended to preserve hua’er, I found that the Chinese national ICH process is a top-down project for the construction of national identity, in which the main goal of ICH recognition and protection is to strengthen a clear Chinese identity and a harmonious society. As a result, hua’er has recently undergone a great deal of reconstruction, modification and canonization. However, hua’er is also a unique case study in that it was, historically, forbidden and considered as highly shameful to be sung in public because of its explicitly erotic lyrics. In addition, singing hua’er was traditionally often related to seeking and engaging in love affairs outside of a marriage. Singing such folksongs was, thus, generally regarded as a taboo in households and villages, especially among family members of the opposite sex. The designation of hua'er as an element of ICH has transformed it from a taboo or “forbidden” song genre, practiced at the margins of rural society, into a respectable element of world and national heritage, now even incorporated into the compulsory public education system. Singers, scholars and officials in fact utilize the opportunity afforded by ICH recognition to negotiate and “re-imagine” the practice of hua’er and its associated identities. In doing so, singers overcome the social stigmas they have faced in the past. Once seen only as “wild songs” sung by unruly married people who engaged in secret love affairs, hua’er is now being reconstructed as a romantic courtship song genre of “naive” ethnic minority groups as well as an iconic music genre that represents ethnic solidarity in the Northwestern region.
Padayag: For Western Orchestra and Filipino Indigenous Instruments
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2015-12) Marfil, Marie Jocelyn
Padayag (“expression”) is scored for a Western orchestra and Filipino indigenous instruments, including Mansaka instruments. It is inspired by Mansaka music, which was an important part of my environment while growing up in a multi-ethnic country. Mansaka is a lumad found in the southern part of the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley. * The overall concept of Padayag comes from my personal experience with the Mansaka people, where I learned about their music, culture, and tradition. Padayag is based on the Mansaka life cycle – birth, courtship, wedding and harvest, death/after life, birth. Each of these events corresponds to Mansaka music – Iso Katurog Da, Binarig, Pyagsawitan, Dawot, and Iso Katurog Da and Barabay – that depicts the Mansaka life events. My initial research on Mansaka music revealed that the information on the Mansaka was insufficient for my writing. This led me to do my field research in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Philippines, from July 18 to August 4, 2013. The interviews with leaders of the Mansaka, the recording of their songs, music, and dance, my association with the Mansaka community, and my findings helped me as I processed my composition. In Padayag, as part of my musical experiment, I explore the different parameters of music, quotations of the Mansaka melody and rhythm, the emulation of the Mansaka music and performance styles and practices, and utilization of various Western compositional techniques. The combination of Western instruments and Filipino indigenous instruments creates unique timbres, which are essential in my musical expression portraying the Mansaka life cycle.

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